Restaurant Leadership Podcast: The Show for Multi-Unit Operators Ready to Scale

Christin Marvin
  • 5.0 (23)
  • Management
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to the Restaurant Leadership Podcast...the show for independent restaurant owners who are done surviving and ready to scale.Your host, Christin Marvin, founder of Columbine Hospitality and creator of the Independent Restaurant Framework (IRF), has spent over two decades in the industry...from line cook at 15 to managing partner by 30. She knows what it takes to build a restaurant group that runs without you in it.Each week, Christin brings you real conversations and straight talk on the three things that actually move the needle in a multi-unit restaurant group: People, Process, and Profit.This podcast is for you if you're ready to stop putting out fires and start building a business that scales with intention.This podcast will help you answer:How do I build a leadership team I can actually trust?How do I create systems that run without me?How do I scale to multiple locations without burning out?How do I increase profitability as I grow?How do I go from operator to CEO?Grab your copy of Multi-Unit Mastery at irfbook.com and follow Columbine Hospitality on LinkedIn.Voice Over, Mixing and Mastering Credits:L. Connor Voice - LConnorvoice@gmail.comLconnorvoice.comArtwork by Solstice Photography, Tucson, AZ. https://solsticephotography70.pixieset.com/

  1. 5d ago

    Episode 125: Build A Profitable Non-Alcoholic Beverage Program - with Dana Bonelli

    Non-alcoholic drinks stopped being a “nice to have” and started becoming a measurable profit lever. We sit down again with Dana Bonelli to pressure-test what’s changed since 2024, what’s accelerating right now, and what restaurant operators should do next if they want their beverage program to keep up with how guests actually order. Dana brings the hard numbers: adult non-alcoholic has crossed $1B in US revenue and forecasts are pointing toward $4B by the end of 2027. We unpack what that means for menu strategy, from the continued dominance of non-alcoholic beer to the surge in ready-to-drink non-alcoholic cocktails, non-alcoholic spirits, and rapidly improving non-alcoholic wine. We also dig into functional beverages as the innovation edge, especially functional RTDs with complex flavor profiles that don’t just imitate traditional drinks. The most useful operational takeaway is how “mixing” is now normal. Dana shares the stat that 94% of people who buy adult non-alcoholic also drink alcohol, which explains why guests toggle between NA, low ABV, and full-strength cocktails in the same meal. We talk labor realities, when packaged NA makes sense, how single-serve reduces waste, and why glassware, ice, and garnish matter if you want guests to happily pay premium prices. We close with the bigger forces shaping demand: wellness culture, wearable tech, transparency around calories, GLP-1 medications, and what Europe signals about where the US is headed. If you’re building a modern non-alcoholic beverage program or redesigning a low ABV menu, you’ll leave with clear next steps. Subscribe, share this with an operator friend, and leave a review with your biggest NA win or challenge. Listen to Our First Conversation with Dana Here:  Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/55-the-future-of-non-alcoholic-hospitality/id1711679834?i=1000670372209 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2yzEhwE8igo47I0p9MMhOA?si=c4c810e6534c403f Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2220802/episodes/15787499 P.S. Ready to take your restaurant to the next level?  Get the Independent Restaurant Framework that's helped countless owners build thriving multi-location brands. Grab your copy at https://www.IRFbook.comHere is my calendar link so you can book time with me:  https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/christin-marvin-personal-calendar-r1jjarmnw Podcast Production: https://www.lconnorvoice.com/

  2. Sep 28

    124: Sober and Still in It - 5 Years Without a Drink in an Industry Built on One

    I didn’t plan to get emotional talking about sobriety, but one question on a recent guest interview hit me right in the chest: what was the hardest part about deciding to stop drinking? Five years later, my answer is clear. It wasn’t the alcohol itself. It was grieving the life I’d built around it, the image of success I thought I wanted, and the community I assumed I couldn’t replace. I walk through how alcohol becomes “normal” in restaurant life and hospitality culture, from wine education and cocktail training to happy hours, late-night decompression, and the constant accessibility that comes with the industry. I share what the first year looked like in real terms: learning how to say I don’t drink, planning ahead for non-alcoholic options, and facing the anger and shame that I hadn’t processed yet. Then we fast-forward to what sobriety gave me back: steady energy, better emotional control, fitness goals that keep expanding, a rebuilt community, a simpler relationship with money, and a deeper sense of presence in my work and relationships.  If any part of this resonates, share it with a leader who needs it, subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next, and leave a review so more restaurant owners can find the show. What’s one thing in your life that’s draining your energy right now? Here are Links to the Communities that Continue to Uplift Me:  Colorado Restaurant Association Women in Hospitality Leadership Intensive (for EatDenver members) P.S. Ready to take your restaurant to the next level?  Get the Independent Restaurant Framework that's helped countless owners build thriving multi-location brands. Grab your copy at https://www.IRFbook.comHere is my calendar link so you can book time with me:  https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/christin-marvin-personal-calendar-r1jjarmnw Podcast Production: https://www.lconnorvoice.com/

  3. Sep 14

    123: What Behavior are You Tolerating, and at What Cost?

    The quickest way to weaken a restaurant isn’t a bad week of sales, it’s the quiet decision to tolerate what you know needs to change. We start with a real quarterly planning story where an owner does something rare: he names the negativity; eye rolls, and the “why it won’t work” energy he’s been allowing on his leadership team. That moment opens up a bigger conversation about restaurant culture, accountability, and why “convenient” tolerance always comes with a cost. From there, we break it down by role. For restaurant owners, we challenge the habits that set the tone during service, especially the temptation to jump back into day-to-day operations as the “fast fix.” For directors of operations, we talk about how people-pleasing and overwhelm can quietly erase standards, and why a system like a recurring walkthrough checklist creates alignment without making it personal. For general managers, we get concrete about restaurant management realities: keeping a high performer who is corrosive, letting sidework slide, avoiding conflict, and even tolerating small time and attendance issues that turn into real labor cost bleed. If you lead a multi-unit restaurant group or you’re building toward one, you’ll walk away with a sharper lens for leadership development and a simple challenge: pick one behavior you’re tolerating and do something about it this week. If this helps, subscribe, share it with a fellow operator, and leave a review so more restaurant leaders can find it. P.S. Ready to take your restaurant to the next level?  Get the Independent Restaurant Framework that's helped countless owners build thriving multi-location brands. Grab your copy at https://www.IRFbook.comHere is my calendar link so you can book time with me:  https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/christin-marvin-personal-calendar-r1jjarmnw Podcast Production: https://www.lconnorvoice.com/

  4. Aug 31

    122: Hire, Coach, and Keep the Right Leaders

    Turnover after the holidays can feel like a punch to the gut, especially when it hits key leaders and you’re already tired from the busiest shifts of the year. We step back and look at the real issue most restaurant operators miss: hiring without a clear, measurable definition of what “the right person” actually is. When your managers rely on instinct instead of standards, you get inconsistent execution, weak ownership, and a constant stream of questions that drag you back into day-to-day firefighting. Then we get tactical: how to design values, test them against current operations, roll them out with your team, and turn them into core value interview questions, job descriptions, one-on-ones, and performance reviews. We also cover the nuance of coaching through tough personal seasons while still holding standards, plus how often to revisit values as your business evolves. If you want a hiring and coaching system that scales and keeps great leaders longer, subscribe, share this with another operator, and leave a review so more restaurant owners can find it. P.S. Ready to take your restaurant to the next level?  Get the Independent Restaurant Framework that's helped countless owners build thriving multi-location brands. Grab your copy at https://www.IRFbook.comHere is my calendar link so you can book time with me:  https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/christin-marvin-personal-calendar-r1jjarmnw Podcast Production: https://www.lconnorvoice.com/

  5. Aug 17

    121: From Chaos to Choice - Lead with Presence

    Running multiple restaurants can turn you into a full-time decision machine, answering everyone’s questions while your own focus gets shattered into a hundred pieces. That’s exactly where Brandon Sharp finds himself as the owner of three Chapel Hill restaurants, and it’s why this coaching conversation gets so real so fast: he wants to stay present with his managers and guests, lead like a CEO, and still protect the parts of the work that bring him joy. The biggest takeaway is a clear trade-off every multi-unit restaurant owner eventually faces: you cannot be responsible for key kitchen shifts and also build the systems, delegation habits, and leadership bench that scaling requires. Brandon leaves with a plan to align his executive team, protect presence, and model letting go so long-tenured managers stay engaged and empowered. If you’re working on restaurant leadership, delegation, team accountability, and scaling without burnout, subscribe, share this with an operator friend, and leave a quick rating and review. What’s one responsibility you need to let go of next? P.S. Ready to take your restaurant to the next level?  Get the Independent Restaurant Framework that's helped countless owners build thriving multi-location brands. Grab your copy at https://www.IRFbook.comHere is my calendar link so you can book time with me:  https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/christin-marvin-personal-calendar-r1jjarmnw Podcast Production: https://www.lconnorvoice.com/

  6. Aug 3

    120: How to Negotiate Your Salary

    What if you're leaving half a million dollars on the table over your career — and don't even realize it? Coach to CEOs and law firm leaders, Katy Goshtasbi reveals the hidden patterns keeping women from owning their value and teaches you exactly how to ask for what you're worth. IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN: Why leading with gratitude instead of data costs you money — and the two-sentence formula for asking for a raise.How to negotiate an offer letter without letting your nervous system hijack the conversation.Why owning your feminine energy is a strategic advantage, not a liability.Get the book — Multiunit Mastery: www.irfbook.com Connect + learn more: www.columbinehospitality.com Workshop Resource: Katy's live Apology Tax Workshop is August 29th in San Diego (limited to 10 women). Contact her directly at katy@purisconsulting.com for a complimentary 60-minute coaching session to see if it's a fit. P.S. Ready to take your restaurant to the next level?  Get the Independent Restaurant Framework that's helped countless owners build thriving multi-location brands. Grab your copy at https://www.IRFbook.comHere is my calendar link so you can book time with me:  https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/christin-marvin-personal-calendar-r1jjarmnw Podcast Production: https://www.lconnorvoice.com/

  7. Jul 20

    119: How to Deliver an Exceptional Dining Experience in Today's Market

    You can feel it when a restaurant cares, and you can feel it even sooner when it doesn’t. I took a trip to Santa Fe and had a dining experience that stopped me in my tracks, not because of flashy gimmicks, but because every touchpoint was intentional. From a single phone call that offered me options and made me feel welcome, to a dining room designed with purpose and comfort, the team proved that excellence is built long before the first bite. If you want a clear, trainable playbook for guest experience and restaurant leadership, hit play, share this with your team, and leave a review so more operators can find it. What’s the one touchpoint in your restaurant you want to improve first? P.S. Ready to take your restaurant to the next level?  Get the Independent Restaurant Framework that's helped countless owners build thriving multi-location brands. Grab your copy at https://www.IRFbook.comHere is my calendar link so you can book time with me:  https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/christin-marvin-personal-calendar-r1jjarmnw Podcast Production: https://www.lconnorvoice.com/

  8. Jul 6

    118: Stop Saying Yes, Start Leading

    The people pleaser saboteur is one of the most common — and most costly — patterns in hospitality leadership. In this episode, we break down why saying yes to everything is burning you out, what boundaries actually look like at every level of your organization, and how to start protecting your time and your team today. IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN: The people pleaser saboteur thrives in hospitality — and it's costing you in burnout, turnover, and inconsistent culture. Boundaries start with clarity: schedules built in advance, expectations in writing, and a culture where "no" is respected. You can't expect your team to set boundaries if you don't model it yourself — it all starts at the top. Get the book — Multiunit Mastery: www.irfbook.com Connect + learn more: www.columbinehospitality.com P.S. Ready to take your restaurant to the next level?  Get the Independent Restaurant Framework that's helped countless owners build thriving multi-location brands. Grab your copy at https://www.IRFbook.comHere is my calendar link so you can book time with me:  https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/christin-marvin-personal-calendar-r1jjarmnw Podcast Production: https://www.lconnorvoice.com/

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5
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23 Ratings

About

Welcome to the Restaurant Leadership Podcast...the show for independent restaurant owners who are done surviving and ready to scale.Your host, Christin Marvin, founder of Columbine Hospitality and creator of the Independent Restaurant Framework (IRF), has spent over two decades in the industry...from line cook at 15 to managing partner by 30. She knows what it takes to build a restaurant group that runs without you in it.Each week, Christin brings you real conversations and straight talk on the three things that actually move the needle in a multi-unit restaurant group: People, Process, and Profit.This podcast is for you if you're ready to stop putting out fires and start building a business that scales with intention.This podcast will help you answer:How do I build a leadership team I can actually trust?How do I create systems that run without me?How do I scale to multiple locations without burning out?How do I increase profitability as I grow?How do I go from operator to CEO?Grab your copy of Multi-Unit Mastery at irfbook.com and follow Columbine Hospitality on LinkedIn.Voice Over, Mixing and Mastering Credits:L. Connor Voice - LConnorvoice@gmail.comLconnorvoice.comArtwork by Solstice Photography, Tucson, AZ. https://solsticephotography70.pixieset.com/

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